When Chimy moved to Phnom Penh in 2015, he was taking a big step. As the youngest of 9 kids, Chimy was the first Christian in his family and the first one to go to university in the city.
Chimy had received a scholarship through the Free Methodist Church and was excited to stay in the Free Methodist dormitory in Phnom Penh. Everything was new for him, though, and Chimy was a shy teenager.
Now at age 28, Chimy has come a long way from that uncertain teen. He’s a confident yet humble leader—now overseeing the dorm ministry for 20 young men and also leading his church’s Sunday school program with 12 youth leaders and 40-50 kids each week!
A big part of this change in Chimy’s life was his participation in Mission Dove’s Onyx program in 2019. During this year-long formational program, Chimy came to know himself and to know God more clearly.
Thank you for providing this opportunity for Chimy!
“I always felt like I was never good enough,” Chimy said, “but when we did the Onyx leadership timeline lessons, I saw all the ways God has blessed me. I really enjoyed listening to everyone else’s stories too. When I listened to other people’s stories, I could understand my own life more clearly.”
While Chimy especially enjoyed the Onyx lessons on leadership, reconciliation, and the five love languages, he found that Onyx is about much more than information.
The relationships are the most important. When I go to Mission Dove, I feel like we’re a family.
“The relationships are the most important,” Chimy said. “When I go to Mission Dove, I feel like we’re a family, and we have really close relationships. Simply put, we love each other. The environment is welcoming and peaceful, and when I go there, there’s nothing to be afraid of. The facilitators are friendly, and it’s easy to build relationships with them.”
“I want to recreate this same family environment in my dorm and workplace too,” Chimy continued, “so it’s easy to connect with people and prevent misunderstandings and arguments from happening.”
After participating in Onyx in 2019, Chimy joined the first cohort of Onyx 2 in 2020. Then, at the encouragement of the Onyx 2 facilitators, he joined the second cohort of Onyx 2 in 2021 to serve as a student leader. He also regularly attends the Onyx alumni workshops too.
Chimy is grateful not only to Mission Dove for what he has received but also to the Free Methodist Church leaders who encouraged him to join the Onyx program.
Pastor Daniel Sar, superintendent of the Free Methodist Church of Cambodia, said, “I always encourage university students to join Onyx because it’s a good program for their personal development. After they’ve finished the program, I’ve seen how they’ve grown, including in the way they volunteer in the church and how they live in the dormitory.”
Gratitude is a big theme at Mission Dove, and I want to serve because of what I have received.
“Gratitude is a big theme at Mission Dove, and I want to serve because of what I have received,” Chimy said. “Sometimes when I serve in ministry, I’m tired and I want to quit. Then I look at what I have received from others, and I want to help more people.”
Thank you for supporting the Onyx program at Mission Dove Cambodia! You are part of Chimy’s story too by providing him the opportunity to see how God has been working in his life and igniting his passion for service. Thank you for supporting the next generation of Cambodian Christian leaders!
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